Peak: Mt. Rainier: Disappointment Cleaver Route

This challenging climb on Mt. Rainier gains almost 2,000 feet per mile.

by Shannon Davis, Map by Google Earth*

Share

Share:

Share:

may 2010 zones rainier 200x170

Need proof that Washington’s iconic peak deserves its rep as the Lower 48’s biggest and baddest mountaineering challenge? Ponder these two figures: 9,000 (the height, in feet, it rises above the lush foothills where you start hiking) and 26 (the number of glaciers on the massif, many of which you’ll see from very, very close up). First-time climbers typically follow the Disappointment Cleaver Route, the mountain’s most popular and least technical ascent. But you’ll still need avalanche smarts and advanced glacier travel and rescue skills. No experience? Go with a guide (rmiguides.com).

Sponsored: After looking at a map and seeing where you’re heading, it’s always amazing to see it appear up ahead of you in real life. Here’s our Editor-in-Chief hiking to two unnamed tarns near the headwaters of Lime Creek, about 3.5 miles west of Molas Pass on the Colorado Trail. Continued thanks to Mountain Hardwear for making the #ColoradoTrailFest come to life. #LiveBreatheHike #MountainHardwear Photo By Kennan Harvey